Maternal exercise increases infant resting energy expenditure: preliminary results.

Maternal obesity is associated with lower infant resting energy expenditure (REE), predisposing them to more rapid weight and adiposity gain through early infancy. Maternal exercise (ME) decreases infant adiposity and risk for childhood obesity; however, it remains unknown if this is in part mediated by changes in infant energy expenditure. Thus, we measured REE in 1-month-old infants from pregnant individuals who performed moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy and compared it to infants from non-exercising controls. We observed higher oxygen respiratory rates (p = 0.003 for VO2 and p = 0.007 for VCO2) and REE (p = 0.002) in infants exposed to exercise in utero, independent of any differences in infant body composition. Furthermore, maternal BMI was significantly and inversely associated with infant REE in the control (r = -0.86, R2 = 0.74, p = 0.029), but not the exercise group (r = 0.33, R2 = 0.11, p = 0.473). Together, these findings associate ME with increasing infant energy expenditure which could be protective of subsequent infant adiposity gain. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03838146 and NCT04805502.

Estimation of the Half-Lives of Recently Detected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Ethers in an Exposed Community.

To estimate half-lives for novel fluoroethers, the GenX Exposure Study obtained two serum measurements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for 44 participants of age 12-86 years from North Carolina, collected 5 and 11 months after fluoroether discharges into the drinking water source were controlled. The estimated half-lives for these compounds were 127 days (95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 86, 243 days) for perfluorotetraoxadecanoic acid (PFO4DA), 296 days for Nafion byproduct 2 (95% CI = 176, 924 days), and 379 days (95% CI = 199, 3870 days) for perfluoro-3,5,7,9,11-pentaoxadodecanoic acid (PFO5DoA). Using these estimates and the literature values, a model was built that predicted PFAS half-lives using structural properties. Three chemical properties predicted 55% of the variance of PFAS half-lives based on 15 PFAS. A model with only molecular weight predicted 69% of the variance. Some properties can predict the half-lives of PFAS, but a deeper understanding is needed. These fluoroethers had biological half-lives longer than published half-lives for PFHxA and PFHpA (30-60 days) but shorter than those for PFOA and PFOS (800-1200 days). These are the first and possibly only estimates of human elimination half-lives of these fluoroethers.

Factors associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations in residents of New Hanover County, North Carolina: The GenX exposure study.

In 2017, people living in New Hanover County, North Carolina, learned that for ∼40 years they were unknowingly exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water sourced by the Cape Fear River. Using data from the GenX Exposure Study, which measured serum PFAS levels in county residents, we aimed to understand questionnaire-measured factors associated with serum PFAS levels. Because most residents were served by the same municipal water source, we focused on surrogate factors of drinking water exposure that may contribute to variability in PFAS levels. Our analysis included 335 participants aged 6 and older. We included seven chemicals detected in ≥75% of the study population: four well-studied perfluoroalkyl acids (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS) and three understudied fluoroethers (Nafion byproduct 2, PFO4DA, PFO5DoA). For each PFAS, we evaluated associations of variables with serum PFAS levels adjusting for key demographic characteristics. Additionally, we developed predictive models for each PFAS. We used years of residence in the lower Cape Fear Region as a surrogate for water consumption. Duration of drinking water exposure was associated with higher serum levels of all seven PFAS. Drinking municipal water treated by home filters or other sources of water (non-city) were associated with lower PFAS concentrations for all seven PFAS compared to drinking municipal water without additional filtration. Males had higher levels of well-studied PFAS, but there was no difference for fluoroethers. For six PFAS, the predictive models explained ≥30% of the variance in serum PFAS levels. While some factors were significantly associated with levels of individual PFAS, their relative importance to overall prediction was low, such as microwave popcorn consumption. Consistently, water consumption-related variables were important for both the association and predictive investigations. These analyses provide additional evidence that drinking water is a primary source for serum PFAS concentrations among New Hanover County residents.

Obese Children Require Lower Doses of Pantoprazole Than Nonobese Peers to Achieve Equal Systemic Drug Exposures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess appropriate pantoprazole dosing for obese children, we conducted a prospective pharmacokinetics (PK) investigation of pantoprazole in obese children, a patient population that is traditionally excluded from clinical trials. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 41 obese children (6-17 years of age), genotyped for CYP2C19 variants *2, *3, *4, and *17, received a single oral dose of pantoprazole, ~1.2 mg/kg lean body weight (LBW), with LBW calculated via a validated formula. Ten post-dose pantoprazole plasma concentrations were measured, and PK variables generated via noncompartmental methods (WinNonlin). Linear and nonlinear regression analyses and analyses of variance were used to explore obesity, age, and CYP2C19 genotype contribution to pantoprazole PK. PK variables of interest were compared with historic nonobese peers treated with pantoprazole. RESULTS: Independent of genotype, when normalized to dose per kg total body weight, pantoprazole apparent clearance and apparent volume of distribution were significantly lower (P < .05) and systemic exposure significantly higher (P < .01) in obese vs nonobese children. When normalized per kg LBW, these differences were not evident in children ≥12 years of age and markedly reduced in children <12 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: LBW dosing of pantoprazole led to pantoprazole PK similar to nonobese peers. Additional factors, other than body size (eg, age-related changes in CYP2C19 activity), appear to affect pantoprazole PK in children <12 years of age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02186652.

Parent & Family Influences on Adopting Healthy Weight-Related Behaviors: Views and Perceptions of Obese African-American Female Adolescents.

RTI International is acknowledged for supporting the time of Susan McRitchie, Keeley Pratt and Susan Sumner to participate in the design, execution, or analysis of this study. East Carolina University would like to acknowledge Brittney France for being a triangulated investigator for the qualitative analysis and to the Pitt Memorial Hospital Foundation for financial support of the healthy lifestyles camp. Our purpose was to evaluate the views of obese African-American (AA) female adolescents concerning parent and family factors relating to obesity and a healthy lifestyle. Obese AA female adolescents enrolled in a residential healthy lifestyle program completed inventories measuring family functioning and perceptions of parenting styles, and participated in focus groups to identify themes regarding parent and family involvement in healthy lifestyle change. The majority of participants' mothers were scored as "inductive/authoritative" and fathers were "indulgent". Mothers reportedly were seen as more likely to encourage dieting to control weight than fathers. Common themes of the focus groups included a desire for family involvement, identification of family behaviors that were supportive as well as those which were perceived as unhelpful. Though generalizability of these results is limited by a homogenous small sample size, our results suggest that obese adolescents seeking weight loss treatment desire significant family involvement in their efforts.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling of pantoprazole to evaluate the role of CYP2C19 genetic variation and obesity in the pediatric population.

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor indicated for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition that disproportionately affects children with obesity. Appropriately dosing pantoprazole in children with obesity requires understanding the body size metric that best guides dosing, but pharmacokinetic (PK) trials using traditional techniques are limited by the need for larger sample sizes and frequent blood sampling. Physiologically-based PK (PBPK) models are an attractive alternative that can account for physiologic-, genetic-, and drug-specific changes without the need for extensive clinical trial data. In this study, we explored the effect of obesity on pantoprazole PK and evaluated label-suggested dosing in this population. An adult PBPK model for pantoprazole was developed using data from the literature and accounting for genetic variation in CYP2C19. The adult PBPK model was scaled to children without obesity using age-associated changes in anatomical and physiological parameters. Lastly, the pediatric PBPK model was expanded to children with obesity. Three pantoprazole dosing strategies were evaluated: 1 mg/kg total body weight, 1.2 mg/kg lean body weight, and US Food and Drug Administration-recommended weight-tiered dosing. Simulated concentration-time profiles from our model were compared with data from a prospective cohort study (PAN01; NCT02186652). Weight-tiered dosing resulted in the most (>90%) children with pantoprazole exposures in the reference range, regardless of obesity status or CYP2C19 phenotype, confirming results from previously published population PK models. PBPK models may allow for the efficient study of physiologic and developmental effects of obesity on PK in special populations where clinical trial data may be limited.

Effects of maternal exercise on infant mesenchymal stem cell mitochondrial function, insulin action, and body composition in infancy.

Maternal exercise (ME) has been established as a useful non-pharmacological intervention to improve infant metabolic health; however, mechanistic insight behind these adaptations remains mostly confined to animal models. Infant mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) give rise to infant tissues (e.g., skeletal muscle), and remain involved in mature tissue maintenance. Importantly, these cells maintain metabolic characteristics of an offspring donor and provide a model for the investigation of mechanisms behind infant metabolic health improvements. We used undifferentiated MSC to investigate if ME affects infant MSC mitochondrial function and insulin action, and if these adaptations are associated with lower infant adiposity. We found that infants from exercising mothers have improvements in MSC insulin signaling related to higher MSC respiration and fat oxidation, and expression and activation of energy-sensing and redox-sensitive proteins. Further, we found that infants exposed to exercise in utero were leaner at 1 month of age, with a significant inverse correlation between infant MSC respiration and infant adiposity at 6 months of age. These data suggest that infants from exercising mothers are relatively leaner, and this is associated with higher infant MSC mitochondrial respiration, fat use, and insulin action.

Quality of life and BMI changes in youth participating in an integrated pediatric obesity treatment program.

BACKGROUND: Changes in Quality of Life (QOL) measures over time with treatment of obesity have not previously been described for youth. We describe the changes from baseline through two follow up visits in youth QOL (assessed by the Pediatric Quality Life Inventory, PedsQL4.0), teen depression (assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ9A), Body Mass Index (BMI) and BMI z-score. We also report caregiver proxy ratings of youth QOL. METHODS: A sample of 267 pairs of youth and caregiver participants were recruited at their first visit to an outpatient weight-treatment clinic that provides care integrated between a physician, dietician, and mental health provider; of the 267, 113 attended a visit two (V2) follow-up appointment, and 48 attended visit three (V3). We investigated multiple factors longitudinally experienced by youth who are overweight and their caregivers across up to three different integrated care visits. We determined relationships at baseline in QOL, PHQ9A, and BMI z-score, as well as changes in variables over time using linear mixed models with time as a covariate. RESULTS: Overall across three visits the results indicate that youth had slight declines in relative BMI, significant increases in their QOL and improvements in depression. CONCLUSIONS: We encourage clinicians and researchers to track youth longitudinally throughout treatment to investigate not only youth's BMI changes, but also psychosocial changes including QOL.

Promising insights into the health related quality of life for children with severe obesity.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a growing health concern known to adversely affect quality of life in children and adolescents. The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric measures were developed to capture child self-reports across a variety of health conditions experienced by children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to begin the process of validation of the PROMIS pediatric measures in children and adolescents affected by obesity. METHODS: The pediatric PROMIS instruments were administered to 138 children and adolescents in a cross-sectional study of patient reported outcomes in children aged 8-17 years with age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile in a design to establish known-group validity. The children completed the depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, peer relationships, pain interference, fatigue, upper extremity, and mobility PROMIS domains utilizing a computer interface. PROMIS domains and individual items were administered in random order and included a total of 95 items. Patient responses were compared between patients with BMI 85 to<99th percentile versus ≥99th percentile. RESULTS: 136 participants were recruited and had all necessary clinical data for analysis. Of the 136 participants, 5% ended the survey early resulting in missing domain scores at the end of survey administration. In multivariate analysis, patients with BMI ≥ 99th percentile had worse scores for depressive symptoms, anger, fatigue, and mobility (p<0.05). Parent-reported exercise was associated with better scores for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents ranging from overweight to severely obese can complete multiple PROMIS pediatric measures using a computer interface in the outpatient setting. In the 5% with missing domain scores, the missing scores were consistently found in the domains administered last, suggesting the length of the assessment is important. The differences in domain scores found in this study are consistent with previous reports investigating the quality of life in children and adolescents with obesity. We show that the PROMIS instrument represents a feasible and potentially valuable instrument for the future study of the effect of pediatric obesity on quality of life.

Longitudinal Patterns of Beverage Intake in Treatment-Seeking Children with Obesity in Eastern NC Using the Validated BEVQ-15.

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption remains a major target for interventions to treat severe obesity in children. Understanding how total energy consumption is divided among different types of beverages remains unclear. This study retrospectively examined how the consumption of beverage calories (kcal) from 100% fruit juice and SSBs, and body mass index, assessed as a percent of the 95th sex- and age-specific percentile (%of 95BMI), changed during the treatment of children with obesity aged 2-18 years. Treatment was provided by an integrative multi-disciplinary team, comprising a physician, a dietician/ nutritionist and a behavioralist employing motivational interviewing and a small change approach to promote improved sustainable health habits and induce a net negative energy balance. The sample included 155 patients, with 341 visits. The median age was 11 years, 60% were girls, and there was a median follow-up of 3.1 months. At baseline, the median %of 95BMI was 135 and the median kcal/day intake was 436 from juice and 263 from SSB. For each additional 100 kcal consumed/day from SSB and juice, the %of 95BMI increased by 1.4 percentage points. In the follow-up, each additional month was associated with 7 fewer kcal/day from SSB and juice combined, with a 0.5 percentage point increase in %of 95BMI. Children in this treatment program consumed fewer calories from SSB over time, although the %of 95BMI did not decrease. SSBs other than soda accounted for the majority of beverage kcal intake, therefore potentially providing a targeted direction for interventions.

Ethnicity and trends in pediatric specialty care clinic attendance at an academic medical center in the rural southeastern US.

Following the 2016 US Presidential election, immigration enforcement became more aggressive, with variation by state and region depending on local policies and sentiment. Increases in enforcement created an environment of risk for decreased use of health care services among especially among Latino families. of Hispanic ethnicity and/or from Latin American origin (as a group subsequently referred to as Latino). For Latino children with chronic health conditions, avoidance of routine health care can result in significant negative health consequences such as disease progression, avoidable use of acute health care services, and overall increased costs of care. To investigate for changes in visit attendance during the periods before and since increased immigration enforcement, we extracted data on children followed by subspecialty clinics of one healthcare system in the US state of North Carolina during 2015-2019. For each patient, we calculated the proportion of cancelled visits and no-show visits out of all scheduled visits during the 2016-2019 follow-up period. We compared patient characteristics (at the 2015 baseline) according to whether they cancelled or did not show to any visits in subsequent years by clinic and patient factors, including ethnicity. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression of attendance at each visit, including an interaction between visit year and patient ethnicity. Among 852 children 1 to 17 years of age (111 of Latino ethnicity), visit no-show was more common among Latino patients, compared to non-Latino White patients; while visit cancellation was more common among non-Latino White patients, compared to Latino patients. There was no significant interaction between ethnicity and trends in visit no-show or cancellation. Although differences in pediatric specialty clinic visit attendance by patient ethnicity were seen at study baseline, changing immigration policy and negative rhetoric did not appear to impact use of pediatric subspecialty care.

PFAS levels in paired drinking water and serum samples collected from an exposed community in Central North Carolina.

The community of Pittsboro, North Carolina has been documented to have extensive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in its drinking water source, the Haw River, over the last 20 years. However, a detailed exposure assessment has never been conducted. In this study, we sought to characterize the PFAS in paired drinking water and blood samples collected from a small cohort of Pittsboro residents (n = 49). Drinking water and serum from blood were collected from adults in late 2019 and early 2020 and were analyzed to quantify 13 PFAS analytes. In order to explore potential health effects of PFAS exposure, serum was further analyzed for clinical chemistry endpoints that could be potentially associated with PFAS (e.g., cholesterol, liver function biomarkers). PFAS were detected in all serum samples, and some serum PFAS concentrations were 2 to 4 times higher than the median U.S. serum concentrations reported in the general U.S. population. Of the 13 PFAS in drinking water, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) was measured at the highest concentrations. PFAS levels in the current drinking water were not associated with current serum PFAS, suggesting that the serum PFAS in this cohort likely reflects historical exposure to PFAS with long half-lives (e.g., PFOS and PFOA). However, one PFAS with a shorter half-life (PFHxA) was observed to increase in serum, reflecting the temporal variability of PFHxA in river and drinking water. Statistical analyses indicated that serum PFOA and PFHxS were positively associated with total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol. No serum PFAS was associated with HDL cholesterol. In the clinical chemistry analyses, serum PFHxA was found to be negatively associated with electrolytes and liver enzymes (e.g., AST and ALT), and serum PFOS was found to be positively associated with the ratio of blood urea nitrogen to creatinine (BUN:Cre). While small in size, this study revealed extensive exposure to PFAS in Pittsboro and associations with clinical blood markers, suggesting potential health impacts in community residents.

The importance of assessing for depression with HRQOL in treatment seeking obese youth and their caregivers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this manuscript is to (1) explore the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of youth attending a tertiary obesity treatment center compared to healthy population reference data; (2) compare the congruence between the HRQOL of youth self-reports and caregiver proxy reports; and (3) examine the associations between youth HRQOL and (a) teen and (b) caregiver depression. METHODS: The sample included 267 youth and caregiver dyads. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Analyses included paired t tests, analyses of variance, correlations, and Chi-square cross-tabulations. RESULTS: Overweight youth reported significantly (P < 0.001) lower scores than a previously published healthy sample on all totals and subscales of the PedsQL. For younger overweight children and caregivers, there was closer agreement on social (r = 0.45) and emotional functioning (r = 0.32); whereas teens and caregivers agreed most on school functioning (r = 0.47) and emotional functioning (r = 0.44). Regardless of age, youth and caregivers disagreed most on physical functioning. Caregivers who reported higher depressive symptoms had less agreement with their child on their perceived HRQOL; however, teens with more depressive symptoms had stronger agreement with their caregivers on their previewed HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, there is not consistent agreement between youth and caregiver perceptions of youth HRQOL domains (physical, emotional, social, and school) and inconsistency in age groups (children and teens). Depressive symptoms in caregivers and teens can provide mechanistic insights into youth and caregiver HRQOL congruence. These findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment when providing treatment to overweight youth and their families.

Development and validation of a tool for assessing glucose impairment in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Early identification of adolescents at risk for impaired fasting glucose may lead to earlier and more comprehensive evaluation and intervention. Because widespread glucose testing of adolescents is not recommended, community-based tools are needed to identify those who could benefit from further testing. One such tool, developed for adults, was the Tool for Assessing Glucose ImpairmenT (TAG-IT). Our objective was to validate whether a similar tool could be useful for community-based screening of glucose impairment risk among adolescents. METHODS: Our study sample consisted of 3,050 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who had participated in the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Half of participants were female and 40% were nonwhite. NHANES measured fasting glucose and height, weight, and resting heart rate. We used Pearson correlations and regression analysis to determine key variables for predicting glucose impairment. From these measurements, we created a composite TAG-IT score for adolescents called TAG-IT-A. We then applied the TAG-IT-A model to 1988-1994 NHANES data, using linear regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis to determine how well the TAG-IT-A score predicted a fasting glucose at or above 100 mg/dL. RESULTS: We determined that age, sex, body mass index, and resting heart rate were important predictors of impaired fasting glucose and that TAG-IT-A was a better predictor of impaired fasting glucose than body mass index alone (area under the curve, 0.61, P < .001 vs 0.55, P = .10, respectively). A TAG-IT-A score of 3 or higher correctly identified 50% of adolescents with impaired fasting glucose, while a score of 5 or higher correctly identified 76%. CONCLUSION: The TAG-IT-A score is a simple screening tool that clinicians and public health professionals could use to easily identify adolescents who may have impaired fasting glucose and need a more comprehensive evaluation.

Drinking Water-Associated PFAS and Fluoroethers and Lipid Outcomes in the GenX Exposure Study.

BACKGROUND: Residents of Wilmington, North, Carolina, were exposed to drinking water contaminated by fluoroethers and legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), with fluoroether exposure occurring from 1980 to 2017. PFOA and PFOS have previously been associated with metabolic dysfunction; however, few prior studies have examined associations between other PFAS and lipid levels. OBJECTIVES: We measured the association between serum fluoroether and legacy PFAS levels and various cholesterol outcomes. METHODS: Participants in the GenX Exposure Study contributed nonfasting blood samples in November 2017 and May 2018 that were analyzed for 20 PFAS (10 legacy, 10 fluoroethers) and serum lipids [total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides] and calculated non-HDL cholesterol. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between quartiles of exposure to each of the PFAS measures (as well as the summed concentrations of legacy PFAS, fluoroethers, and all 10 targeted PFAS) and lipid outcomes by fitting inverse probability of treatment weighted linear regressions. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study of 326 participants (age range 6-86 y), eight PFAS were detected in >50% of the population. For PFOS and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), non-HDL cholesterol was approximately 5mg/dL higher per exposure quartile increase: [PFOS: 4.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 9.68 and PFNA: 5.25 (95% CI: 0.39, 10.1)], whereas total cholesterol was approximately 6mg/dL higher per quartile [PFOS: 5.71 (95% CI: 0.38, 11.0), PFNA: 5.92 (95% CI: 0.19, 11.7)]. In age-stratified analyses, associations were strongest among the oldest participants. Two fluoroethers were associated with higher HDL, whereas other fluoroether compounds were not associated with serum lipid levels. DISCUSSION: PFNA and PFOS were associated with higher levels of total and non-HDL cholesterol, with associations larger in magnitude among older adults. In the presence of these legacy PFAS, fluoroethers appeared to be associated with HDL but not non-HDL lipid measures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11033.

A biopsychosocial pilot study of overweight youth and care providers' perceptions of quality of life.

This pilot study examined the relationship between youth and care provider self-reports of depressive symptoms assessed through the Patient Health Questionnaire and reports of youth physical and psychosocial functioning assessed by PedsQL4.0 in a rural outpatient overweight pediatric population (N = 66 child and care provider pairs). The relationship between youth body mass index (BMI), youth and care provider depression, youth quality of life (QOL), care provider perception of youth QOL, and youth and care provider congruence of QOL perceptions was examined. Paired t tests were completed to assess the differences between QOL scores for youth and care providers for subgroups based on age, age and gender, and age and race. The mean age of youth participants was 11.9 years; youth BMI ranged from 26.76 to 54.10 (M = 37.20). Our results showed that there are significant differences in youth and care providers' perceptions of QOL when specific demographic categories are assessed by age, gender, and race.

Impact of Body Mass Index, Socioeconomic Status, and Bedtime Technology Use on Sleep Duration in Adolescents.

Factors related to adolescents and sleep are understudied. We evaluate the relationship between bedtime technology use (TU), TV in bedroom, weight, and socioeconomic status in seventh graders (N = 3956) enrolled in a school-based wellness intervention. Sleep quantity was dichotomized to insufficient (<8 hours) or sufficient (≥8 hours); high TU before sleep was defined by use "a few nights each week" or "every, or almost every night." Insufficient sleep (38.7%), having TV in bedroom (72.9%), and high TU (83.1%) were commonly reported. The likelihood of sufficient sleep was lower for those with high TU (odds ratio [OR] = 0.529 [0.463-0.605]), obese students (OR = 0.815 [0.700-0.949]), and those with a TV in the bedroom (OR = 0.817 [0.703-0.950]). Also, attending a school with higher percent low socioeconomic status students was also associated with insufficient sleep (P = .026). Interventions to reduce TU may be important for improving sleep quantity, especially for some vulnerable populations.

Associations between maternal obesity, gestational cytokine levels and child obesity in the NEST cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although maternal systemic inflammation is hypothesized to link maternal pre-pregnancy obesity to offspring metabolic dysfunction, patient empirical data are limited. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we hypothesized that pre-pregnancy obesity alters systemic chemo/cytokines concentrations in pregnancy, and this alteration contributes to obesity in children. METHODS: In a multi-ethnic cohort of 361 mother-child pairs, we measured prenatal concentrations of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1ß, IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-12 p70 subunit, and IL-17A using a multiplex ELISA and examined associations of pre-pregnancy obesity on maternal chemo/cytokine levels, and associations of these cytokine levels with offspring body mass index z score (BMI-z) at age 2-6 years using linear regression. RESULTS: After adjusting for maternal smoking, ethnicity, age, and education, pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with increased concentrations of TNF-α (P = .026) and IFN-γ (P = .06). While we found no evidence for associations between TNF-α concentrations and offspring BMI-z, increased IFN-γ concentrations were associated with decreased BMI-z (P = .0002), primarily in Whites (P = .0011). In addition, increased maternal IL-17A concentrations were associated with increased BMI-z in offspring (P = .0005) with stronger associations in African Americans (P = .0042) than Whites (P = .24). CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study are consistent with maternal obesity-related inflammation during pregnancy, increasing the risk of childhood obesity in an ethnic-specific manner.

Frontal and sagittal plane biomechanics during drop jump landing in boys who are obese.

PURPOSE: To investigate the frontal and sagittal plane lower extremity biomechanics during drop jump landings in boys who were obese and boys who were of healthy weight. METHODS: Twelve boys participated, 6 were considered as healthy weight (body mass index for age <85%, age 11.0 +/- 0.8 years), and 6 were considered as obese (body mass index for age >95%, age 12.1 +/- 0.7 years). Three-dimensional data were collected during landing from a drop jump. Group means were compared using Student t tests (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: Significant differences were found in peak hip adduction moment, timing of peak dorsiflexion and knee flexion angles, and timing of peak knee extension and abduction moments. CONCLUSIONS: Boys who were obese exhibited significant differences in frontal and sagittal plane biomechanics when landing from a jump compared with healthy weight peers. These differences could place boys who are obese at greater risk for lower extremity injuries when they engage in jump-landing activities.

Tapping Out: Influence of Organoleptic and Perceived Health Risks on Bottled Versus Municipal Tap Water Consumption Among Obese, Low Socioeconomic Status Pediatric Patients.

A variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including some known to be obesogenic, can be found in household wastewater. Many are only partially treated by wastewater treatment and drinking water purification systems and can enter municipal drinking water supplies. We evaluated drinking water consumption habits in a cohort of obese pediatric patients to determine the percentage that might avoid exposure to EDCs from drinking municipal tap water. Obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) children presenting to an obesity clinic serving a largely poor and rural population were studied. Self-reported race/ethnicity, insurance status and details concerning type and volume of water consumed were obtained from their medical records. Most homes were supplied with municipal, rather than private well water (90.6% vs. 9.4%, respectively). A majority (76.4%) of patients with municipal water as their water supply only drank bottled water. "Taste" and "Health Concerns" were the most commonly endorsed reasons for eschewing tap water. Bottled water consumption among low socioeconomic status patients may reduce their risk for exposure to EDCs in municipal tap water. Further studies are needed to confirm the generalizability of this observation.